Shackles are used for making connections and disconnections between tethering devices, such as ropes and cables. Shackles have been in use for many years and are commonly used in sailing. Generally, the bodies of most shackles contain an integrally formed opening for connection to a control line. They also have a hasp which is pivotally connected to the other end of the body. The free end of the hasp is engageable with a release pin which holds the hasp closed, so that a second line may be connected to the shackle body in an easily releasable manner.
Representative patents include, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,930,290 and 3,850,468, which teach a quick-release shackle. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,539,885 discloses a locking shackle apparatus. Each of these patents, however, discloses “floating” type shackles that are not rigidly attached to a mounting surface, and instead simply connect multiple lines. Thus, what is needed is a mountable shackle that can be quickly and reliably detached from a line by a user.